


Here Comes the Easter Bunny!

by vix_spes



Series: Ties of the Heart 'verse [5]
Category: Whitechapel (TV)
Genre: Family, Friendship, Gen, Humor, Team Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-06
Updated: 2015-04-06
Packaged: 2018-03-21 15:12:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3697025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holidays with the Whitechapel team are never boring and Easter is no diferent</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here Comes the Easter Bunny!

Chandler peered through the car window and reached for his phone to double-check that he had the address right. For the first time, they were having a team social gathering somewhere other than at Miles' home. Instead, they were all gathering at Riley's home as Riley had wanted to give Judy a break from hosting duties. Just as he was searching through his inbox for the relevant message from Riley with her address, there was a tap on the window and he looked right to be greeted with the grinning faces of Liam and Edward Riley. Apparently he had got the address right after all.

Grabbing his phone and wallet, he got out of the car, bracing himself for the hugs that he would inevitably receive from the boys. Since he had started babysitting the Miles children he had become much more receptive to affection from the children but the boys were still incredibly boisterous and he sometimes had to steel himself in preparation. This time was no different.

“Happy Easter, Uncle Joe!”

Liam and Edward were so enthusiastic in their affection that he practically fell back against his car in the process, the only thing that saved him being the arm that he threw out to brace them on the roof of the car. He looked up as he heard Miles' familiar rough chuckle.

“Sorry Joe, they're hyped up on sugar. I don't even want to think about how much chocolate they've eaten this weekend. Boys, come on, let go of your Uncle Joe and give your mum a hand with the food.”

Chandler breathed a sigh of relief once he was no longer crushed against his car and accepted the one-armed hug that Miles gave him, pressing a kiss to Elizabeth's head where she sat in her dad's arms. He had just opened the back door of the car to grab the bag of gifts he had brought for his hosts when Miles spoke again.

“I'll grab that Joe, you grab madam here or she's going to wriggle out of my arms.”

Chandler spun around on his heel to see that Miles wasn't exaggerating. Elizabeth was indeed wriggling determinedly in her dad's arms, her own arms reaching out towards Chandler. Seeing that Miles was quickly losing his grip, and also unwilling to deny Elizabeth anything, Chandler quickly scooped her into his arms, finally realising what she was wearing.

“Miles? Why on earth is your daughter dressed up in a bunny costume?”

“Riley bought it for her so Judy said she had to be wearing it here. Apparently it's an Easter bunny onesie.” Miles paused before he spoke again. “You've got to admit though, she does look cute.”

“Well, yes, she does look cute … but, she's still dressed as a bunny.”

“Joseph Chandler, you'll stop talking now if you know what's good for you.”

Chandler exchanged a wry grin with Miles before he turned to greet Judy, bending obligingly to kiss her cheek as he did so. “Of course, I know better than to get on your bad side.”

“Oh get on with you. Boys, keep your hands off those cupcakes if you want to eat any of your Easter eggs. And that includes you Ray!”

  
(~*~)

  
If Chandler had thought Elizabeth wearing a bunny onesie was bad, things weren't any better once they got inside the Riley's. The garden was buzzing with people, not only the team but neighbours and members of the Riley's extended family; something that made Chandler incredibly grateful that the rain they had had for the first two days of the Bank Holiday weekend had given way to bright sunshine. The first thing that he saw was Kent wearing what looked suspiciously like an Easter bonnet and then the strangeness was compounded when Mansell shuffled out of the house wearing an Easter bunny outfit. The instant that he did so, the children were corralled inside by a view adults, told that the Easter bunny was going to hide his eggs so that they could find them. Chandler managed to refrain from laughing for all of about a minute but he couldn't help himself when Miles and Meg were struggling for breath they were laughing so hard and even Kent was chuckling away.

“I take it you're behind all of this, Riley?” Chandler turned to the woman next to him, gesturing towards Mansell and Kent.

“You'd be amazed what a bit of bribery will do. My nieces and my daughter fancy the pants off Kent and made him that before they badgered him into wearing it. As for Mansell, well, I know too many of his dirty secrets and I might have threatened to divulge a few to his latest squeeze...”

“Remind me never to cross you, Riley.”

“I learnt everything I know from Judy. Come on sir, I'll get you some of the cheesecake she brought with her. Besides, if I know this lot they'll start heckling Mansell in a minute and Judy will kill us all if Elizabeth is around then and it doesn't look like she's going to be letting go of you any time soon.”

Chandler nodded and turned to follow Riley, smiling a little as he saw Mansell wandering around the garden planting brightly coloured eggs while dressed as a bunny, the smile dimming slightly as Mansell came closer and he could hear exactly what the DC was muttering. Pressing Elizabeth closer to his chest and covering her other ear with his hand, he made his way inside just in time to accept a slice of cake from Judy that seemed as though just looking at it would give him diabetes.

Several hours later, lulled into a false security and restricted not only by a sleeping Elizabeth in his arms but the feeling that he had eaten his own body weight in rich food, Chandler was completely unprepared for someone to sneak up behind him and force a headband complete with bunny ears onto his head. A cackling Mansell and a somewhat nervous-looking Kent popped up in front of him, snapping a picture on a phone before he could remove them.

“Happy Easter, sir!”

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/185830.html)


End file.
